Integrated portable device for point of sale transactions

ABSTRACT

A handheld, portable device (10) for processing point of sale transactions includes a housing (20), a magnetic card reader (40) for reading credit card information, the reader (40) carried within the housing (20) substantially adjacent to the first end (23) of the housing (20), a numeric keyboard (50) and an alphabetic keyboard (60) for entering customer information, and a barcode scanner (70) for scanning product identification information, the barcode scanner (70) carried within the housing (20) substantially adjacent to a second end (24) of the housing (20). Also included is a display (80) for displaying selected information, a printer (90) for printing a customer receipt, a communications assembly (110) for furnishing the information needed to obtain transaction approval, and a processor (130) for receiving the information, and controlling the display (80), the printer (90) and the communications assembly (110). Device (10) furnishes all functions necessary to facilitate and complete a point of sale credit card transaction. The housing (20) configuration allows handsfree operation for most functions. The arrangement of components within device (10) provides a uniform distribution of weight and makes supporting device (10) with one hand comfortable and relatively effortless.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates in general to portable devices for datacollection. More particularly, the present invention pertains to devicesfor transacting credit card sales as portable, handheld point of saleterminals. More specifically, the present invention relates to deviceswhich provide all functions necessary for processing a credit card salestransaction remote from a conventional checkout register, including acredit card reader, data entry keyboard, barcode scanner, display,receipt printer, transaction approval communicator and controllingprocessor.

BACKGROUND ART

Data collection devices whose primary or exclusive function is as apoint of sale (hereinafter POS) terminal are known and in recent yearshave become quite sophisticated, including a variety of functions tofacilitate credit card sales transactions. For example, POS terminalshave provided readers for reading customer information from the creditcard, barcode scanners for automatically entering product informationfrom barcodes on products, their label or packaging, keyboards forentering customer personal identification numbers and other transactioninformation and commands, displays, receipt printers, and telephone orcomputer links to obtain transaction approval.

Many businesses accepting payment by credit card, especially thoseengaged in retail sales or services, have found it desirable to employless expensive and more flexible portable POS terminals to processcredit card transactions for more expeditious customer checkout, and toaddress peak customer volume, reduce traffic at congested checkoutcounters, reduce capital equipment expenditures, provide additional,easily relocatable temporary checkout registers, and allow additionalorder-entry terminals for products presently unavailable at the point ofsale, among other reasons. Invariably, however, existing POS terminalsintended for portable operation fail to provide all functions necessaryto facilitate credit card transaction processing by a portable, handheldPOS terminal. Moreover, it is also evident that existing POS terminalshave not begun to address component arrangement to facilitate handheldoperation.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,054 discloses an input system for a POSterminal having a portable unit which provides a card reader throughwhich the customer may pass a credit card and a keypad into which acustomer may input a personal identification number. The customer thenreturns the portable unit to the sales counter, where a salespersonconnects it to a repeater to transmit that information to a stationarycontroller. Information on the purchased products must be manuallyentered into the stationary controller by the salesperson. In much thesame manner, the unattached keypad shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,366 onlyallows the remote entry of the customer's personal identificationnumber; all other transaction information must be still entered into thefixed, POS authorization controller.

Another POS terminal, the Model E 232 Electronic Payment Terminalmanufactured by Electronique Serge Dassault of St-Cloud Cedex, Franz,provides for magnetic card reading, a keypad, a readout screen and aprinter to generate a receipt. Intended for electronic fund transferauthorization, this device not only does not include a barcode scanner,it also does not permit manual entry of purchasing productidentification.

Thus, despite the increased popularity of the handheld POS terminal, nosuch terminal has been provided that provides all the necessaryfunctions to allow the transaction to be completed at a location remotefrom stationary POS terminals, while simultaneously arranging componentsto facilitate handheld use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide aportable, handheld data collection terminal including all necessaryfunctions to facilitate and complete a point of sale credit cardtransaction.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device, asset forth above, wherein component arrangement in the device iswell-balanced, allowing mostly handsfree operation.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a device,as set forth above, wherein component arrangement in the device makessupporting the device with one hand comfortable and relativelyeffortless.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention overexisting prior art forms will become more apparent and fully understoodfrom the following description in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings.

In general, a portable device for processing point of sale transactionsembodying the concepts of the present invention includes a housinghaving a top surface, a bottom surface, a first end and a second end; areader for reading credit card information, the reader carried withinthe housing substantially adjacent to the first end of the housing;first data entry means for entering customer information, the first dataentry means carried by the housing; a scanner for scanning productidentification information, the scanner carried within the housingsubstantially adjacent to the second end of the housing; a display fordisplaying selected of the credit card information, the customerinformation and the product identification information, the displaycarried within the housing so as to allow display at the top surface ofthe housing substantially adjacent to the scanner; a printer forprinting a customer receipt, the printer carried within the housingcloser to the second end of the housing than the first end of thehousing; means for furnishing at least selected credit card information,customer information and product identification information to obtaintransaction approval, the means for furnishing carried within thehousing; and, a processor within the housing for receiving the creditcard information, the customer information and the productidentification information, and controlling the display, the printer andthe means for furnishing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an exemplary device in accordancewith the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the exemplary device shown inFIG. 1 taken substantially along line 2--2 shown in of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the exemplary device shown in FIG. 1 takensubstantially along line 3--3 shown in FIG. 2 showing the scanner windowand paper holder.

FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of the exemplary device shown inFIG. 1, depicting a receipt caddy in exploded view format.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an exemplary paper holder assembly.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the functional components of the exemplarydevice shown in FIG. 1 and a device for obtaining credit cardtransaction approval including a transceiver for communication with thedevice of the present invention.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 presents in perspective an exemplary portable device inaccordance with the present invention, generally indicated by thenumeral 10, that within a single housing 20 integrally furnishes allfunctions necessary to complete a credit card transaction as a POSterminal and facilitate handheld operation. Device 10, best seen overallin FIGS. 1 and 2, the latter of which presents vertical sectional viewof device 10 taken substantially along line 2--2 shown in of FIG. 1, maybe made of several separate components furnishing various functions:magnetic card reader 40, first data entry keyboard 50, second data entrykeyboard 60, barcode scanner 70, display 80, printer assembly 90,communications assembly 110 and processor assembly 130. Housing 20 maybe formed by molding or other acceptable means of a suitable materialsuch as a rigid plastic suitable to integrally carry all the componentsin a substantially rectangular block having a top surface 21, a bottomsurface 22, a first end 23 and a second end 24. For reasons which willbecome more apparent hereinafter, a portion of the top surface 21 ofhousing 20 is sloped or titled upward moving from the first end 23 tothe second end 24, as shown at 25. The width of housing 20 should beabout what may be comfortably grasped in a human operator's hand, lessthan about four inches (10.16 cm).

Magnetic card reader 40 may be any conventional reader suitable forreading credit card information encoded on a magnetic credit card 41(FIG. 6) and carried and mounted by means not relevant hereto withinhousing 20 substantially adjacent to the first end 23 of housing 20 soas to allow an operator, whether a salesperson or customer, to wipe themagnetic stripe of the card across the exposed reading head 42 ofmagnetic card reader 40, as further discussed below. Of course, wherecredit card 41 employs a different information encoding method, such asoptical or electrical, card reader 40 may be appropriately selected torespond to such other encoding method. A substantially planer card guide43 for directing credit card 41 and its magnetic stripe into operativeengagement with reading head 42 may be furnished and connected tohousing 11 as with flat head screws 44.

First data entry keyboard 50 may be a conventional data entry mechanism,such as a keyboard with raised, travel-tactile keys, suitable for entryof customer information and, optionally, device commands. Keyboard 50 iscarried and mounted by means not relevant hereto within housing 20substantially adjacent to the first end 23 of housing 20 so as to allowthe operator to make entries at the top surface 21 of housing 20, and ispreferably relatively thin to preserve as much space as possible withinhousing 20.

Second data entry keyboard 60 also may be a conventional data entrymechanism, but where customer receipts are to be signed by the customeratop keyboard 60, is a substantially flat preferably membrane keyboardhaving a mylar, customizable, user-interchangeable keypad cover.Keyboard 60 may be suitable for entry of additional customer or otherinformation, and is carried and mounted, again by means not relevanthereto, within housing 20 substantially adjacent to keyboard 50 so as toallow the operator to make entries at the top surface 21 of housing 20.A second keyboard is not essential to the successful operation of device10 as explained hereinafter; however, a second keyboard may beadvantageously utilized for primarily alphabetic and preselectablecommand function input while the first keyboard may be employed forprimarily numeric and limited query response.

Barcode scanner 70 may be a compact mechanism for facilitating acquiringinformation about the item(s) the customer wishes to purchase, such asthe CCD scanning module manufactured by Opticon Inc. of Orangeburg,N.Y., or a diode laser scanning module such as that available throughPhotographic Sciences Corp of Webster, N.Y. Optically scannablebarcodes, now almost always placed on retail and inventory product,provides a unique product identification. As shown diagrammatically inFIG. 6, barcode scanner 70 generates a light scanning beam 71 forstriking the barcode 72 applied to a product 73 to be purchased, itslabel or packaging. Barcode scanner 70 is carried within housing 20 bysuitable means (not shown or relevant herein) such that the lightscanning beam 71 is projected outwardly and upwardly from the upwardlyinclined second end 24 of housing 20 through a light transparent window74 (best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3). This orientation of light scanning beam71 greatly enhances the ease with which the operator of device 10 mayquickly and automatically identify all products to be purchased, as willbe further explained hereinbelow.

Display 80 may be any conventional low-power consumption display such asa liquid crystal display for visual depiction of operating mode status,operator prompts, or any information acquired during the POStransaction. Display 80 may be carried and mounted by means not relevanthereto within housing 20 so that its display is viewable through awindow 81 in the upward sloping portion 25 of top surface 21.

Printer assembly 90 may include any conventional receipt printer 91 ableto print a narrow customer receipt in duplicate original, one copy ofwhich is retained by the operator and the other given to the customer, apaper exit cover 92 and a printer paper holder 93. One suitable compactimpact receipt printer 91 capable of printing 24 characters per line on2.26 inch (5.74 cm) wide two-ply paper is dot matrix printer Model M-180Ultra Small-Sized Printer available from Epson America Inc. of Torrance,Calif. Receipt printer 91 is carried within and mounted by means notrelevant hereto to housing 20 such that paper exiting receipt printer 91passes directly to paper exit cover 92 described further hereinafter.The width of receipt printer 91 may require housing 20 to include slightside protuberances 98 for accommodation, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4.

Paper exit cover 92, best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is mounted in the topsurface 21 of housing 20 between the inclined portion 25 and keyboard60, and includes two parallel flanges 94 forming a guide channel 95 fordirecting the printer paper 96 out of device 10, and a serrated cuttingedge 97. Printer paper holder 93, best depicted in FIGS. 2 and 5,includes a plate 100 contoured to removably, matingly engage the lowerportion of the second end 24 of housing 20 and a portion of the bottomsurface 22 of housing 20 nearby the second end 24, posts 101 to carry aroll of printer paper 96, and an angled paper guide 102 for optimallydirecting printer paper 96 into paper receipt printer 91. A plurality ofinterchangeable plates 100 may be formed with sufficient curvature toreceive rolls of printer paper 96 of different diameter, as may bedesired by the operator and as shown in phantom in FIG. 2. An interlock103 may be integrally formed in plate 100 to allow the requisiteremovable, mating engagement with housing 20. The side edges of paperguide 102 may be made slightly wider than that of printer paper 96sufficient to fold over and furnish paper edge guides 104 for morereadily directing printer paper 96 into the printhead of receipt printer91.

Prior to initial operation, and anytime the supply of receipt paper 91is substantially depleted, the operator may install or replenish thesupply by applying slight pressure on plate 100 under interlock 103 andremoving the printer paper holder from its operational position. A newroll of printer paper 96 is placed between posts 101, and the free endof printer paper 96 inserted through paper guide 102. Thereafter plate100 is reinserted into housing 20, placing the free end of printer paper96 into receipt printer 91, and a preselected keyboard button actuatingthe paper feed by receipt printer 91 depressed until printer paper 96extends through guide channel 95 and out past serrated cutting edge 97.Device 10 is then ready to print customer receipts.

Processor 130 may include any conventional central processing unit (CPU)131, microprocessor or microcomputer having sufficient capacity tocontrol operation of device 10, memory 132 to retain the control programand an input/output circuit 133 for receiving and conditioning allcontrol and data signals.

Communications assembly 110 allows device 10 to obtain approval ofcredit card transactions, and may include, alternatively or incombination, the components necessary to effect several differentmethods of obtaining such approval. For example, device 10 may include aconventional radio frequency transceiver 111, preferably employingspread spectrum modulation, to send the information necessary forapproval to a base station 112 including a like transceiver 113, centralprocessing unit 114, memory 115 and input/output circuit 116 connectedto a telephone line. Base station 112 will call the credit cardverification telephone number, forward the necessary information, andreceive and radio back to device 10 approval or disapproval. If desiredadditional memory 117 may be included within communications assembly 110to store the information necessary for approval and transmit all suchinformation in one or more larger data batches, instead of transmittingeach piece of information as it is read, scanned or entered in device10. Data jacks suitable for direct serial data transmission may beprovided in both device 10 and base station 112, and device 10 and basestation 112 plugged together to effect transfer. A modem 118 andtelephone jack may be installed within device 10, and device 10 pluggeddirectly into the public telephone network to obtain transactionapproval. Communications assembly 110 may be carried within and mountedby means not relevant hereto to housing 20 substantially adjacent tomagnetic card reader 40 underneath keyboard 50.

Device 10 may include a caddy 140 to facilitate signature of thecustomer receipt and temporarily store the operator's copy of the signedreceipt. One suitable caddy 140 is illustrated in partial exploded formin FIG. 4 where a five-sided, substantially planer tray only slightlynarrower than the width of device 10 is seen to include four cornerhooks 141 for removable, sliding engagement with the bottom surface 22of housing 20, thereby providing a receipt storage chamber 142. Theheight of caddy 140 may be selected by the manufacturer, and holdershaving a variety of heights may be made available, but a shallow depthof about 3/16 inch (0.48 cm) is believed to provide adequate storagecapacity for many applications. An aperture 143 through which signedcustomer receipts may be inserted into holder 141 may be formed at theend closest to the first end 23 of housing 20, and a receipt holdingrecessed flange 144 integrally formed into the end of caddy 140 closestto the second end 24 of housing 20 with a very small clearance above thepreferably recessed top surface of caddy 140. When a customer receipt isprinted and ready for signature, the operator of device 10 may turn itover, slip a narrow end of the customer receipt under recessed flange144, securing the receipt by interference fit and providing a hard, flatsurface for signature by the customer. A raised flange (not shown) alsomay be integrally formed into housing 20 extending from top surface 21between the keyboard 50 and keyboard 60 such that the customer receiptis positioned over the flat keyboard 60 for signature, and keyboard 60selectively, temporarily deactivated during such signature.

FIG. 4 also presents two mechanisms for carrying of device 10 by theoperator. The first mechanism is a somewhat s-shaped, flexible clothing(including belt) hook 146 that may be integrally formed with the cardguide 43 so that it extends out from the center thereof along the bottomsurface 22 of housing 20. The second mechanism is an adjustable neckstrap 147 the ends of which are secured to the opposite ends of aclosure bar 148, which is in turn slid under clothing hook 146. Closurebar 148 may be made to extend beyond the width of device 10 tofacilitate separation of closure bar 148 from device 10. Carry device 10with such mechanisms allows device 10 to be hung from the operator'sclothing in a vertical orientation with the first end 23 closest to theoperator's head and the second end 24 furthest therefrom whether device10 is suspended from the operator's clothing or from the neck strappositioned around the operator's neck. In such a position the operatorwill have both hands free for other operations and device 10 will bestabilized by the front of the operator's body.

A self-contained energy source such as batteries 149 are carried withinand mounted by means not relevant hereto to housing 20 betweencommunications assembly 110 and receipt printer 91 underneath keyboard60.

Operation of device 10 is straightforward. For purposes of explanationit shall be assumed that a supply of printer paper 96 is installedwithin device 10, device 10 is transmitting necessary information tobase station 112 for transaction approval, and a customer has approachedthe operator with several products to be purchased in a credit cardtransaction, all as discussed above.

First, allowing device 10 to hang vertically free from the operator'sclothing or neck, the operator may use both hands to guide the productsto be purchased so that barcodes thereon pass beneath barcode scanner70. The angular orientation of the upward sloping portion 25 of topsurface 21, which for this example is believed to be about 30 degrees,positions the scanner window at an ideal angle to facilitate scanningproduct barcodes and simultaneously allow the operator to view display80. In essence, this incline allows the operator's hands to remain freewhile operating device 10.

Once all products to be purchased have been scanned, and at any timeduring operation when keyboard input is required or desired, theoperator may use one hand to lift device 10 in its middle and the otherhand to press the desired keys. The arrangement of components withindevice 10 provides a uniform distribution of weight and makes supportingdevice 10 with one hand comfortable and relatively effortless.

At any convenient time, but most likely either before or after scanningis complete, the operator, while allowing device 10 to hang free, mayuse one hand to pass the customer's charge card by magnetic card reader40 and, if desired, use the other hand to lightly secure device 10 fromany slight lateral motion.

Thereafter, the operator may package the purchased products during whichtime device 10 will most likely receive a transaction approval from basestation 112 and automatically print a customer receipt. The operatorthen tears off the customer receipt, places it under recessed flange 144atop receipt caddy 140, and requests that the customer sign it. After ithas been signed, the two-ply customer receipt is removed, a copy handedto the customer or placed in the products package, and the operator'scopy passed through aperture 143 into chamber 142. At this juncture theoperator and device 10 are ready to process another transaction. At anyconvenient time caddy 140 may be removed and all receipts in chamber 142withdrawn.

In addition to the aspects of the present invention noted above, otheralternatives and features should now be apparent. For example, in thepreferred embodiment shown and described herein the angle of slopingportion 25 of top surface 21 is about 30 degrees. However, it should beapparent to one skilled in the art, that other values are possiblewithout departing from the spirit of the present invention. Also, asshould again be apparent to one skilled in the art, barcode scanner 70could employ a removable wand. Still other modifications that should beunderstood embrace using any suitable form of modulation incommunications assembly 110, including infrared where there exists aclear line of sight to base station 112, and the substitution of onlyadditional memory 117 for communications assembly 110. In the laterinstance, additional memory 117 will retain all information necessaryfor transaction approval.

Inasmuch as the present invention is subject to variations,modifications and changes in detail, some of which have been expresslystated herein, it is intended that all matter described throughout thisentire specification or shown in the accompanying drawings beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. It should thusbe evident that a device constructed according to the concept of thepresent invention, and reasonably equivalent thereto, will accomplishthe objects of the present invention and otherwise substantially improvethe art of portable data collection and, more particularly, portablehandheld POS terminals.

I claim:
 1. A portable device for processing point of sale transactionsby a user, comprising:a housing for carrying by the user having anoperational orientation which when carried by the user is handsfree,said housing including a top surface, a bottom surface, a first end anda second end; reader means for reading credit card information, saidreader means carried within said housing substantially adjacent to saidfirst end of said housing; first data entry means for entering customerinformation, said first data entry means carried by said housing;scanner means for scanning product identification information, saidscanner means carried within said housing substantially adjacent saidsecond end of said housing such that when said housing is in saidoperational orientation the device is operable handsfree; display meansfor displaying selected of said credit card information, said customerinformation and said product identification information, said displaymeans carried within said housing so as to allow display at said topsurface of said housing substantially adjacent said scanner means;printer means for printing a customer receipt, said printer meanscarried within said housing closer to said second end of said housingthan said first end of said housing; means for furnishing at leastselected of said credit card information, said customer information andsaid product identification information to obtain transaction approval,said means for furnishing carried within said housing; and, processormeans within said housing for receiving said credit card information,said customer information and said product identification information,and controlling said display means, said printer means and said meansfor furnishing.
 2. A device, as set forth in claim 1, which ismaintained by an operator with said first end of said housing closest toand said second end of said housing furthest from said operator, saidtop surface of said second end of said housing inclined upward tofacilitate scanning of said product identification information by saidscanner means when the device is in operation.
 3. A device, as set forthin claim 2, wherein said product identification information is embodiedin a barcode applied to a product whose purchase is the subject of thepoint of sale transaction, and said scanner means is a barcode scanner.4. A device, as set forth in claim 3, wherein said barcode scannergenerates a scanning beam, and said scanner means is carried within saidhousing such that said scanning beam is projected outwardly and upwardlyfrom said upwardly inclined second end of said housing.
 5. A device, asset forth in claim 2, wherein said display means is carried within saidhousing such that said display means is visible in said upwardlyinclined top surface of said second end of said housing facing saidoperator.
 6. A device, as set forth in claim 5, wherein said displaymeans is a liquid crystal display.
 7. A device, as set forth in claim 1,further including carrying means for removably securing the device tosaid operator to facilitate maintaining the device in an operationalorientation when not handheld.
 8. A device, as set forth in claim 7,wherein said carrying means is a neck strap secured to said housing inproximity to said first end.
 9. A device, as set forth in claim 7,wherein said carrying means includes means for affixing said housing toarticles of clothing.
 10. A device, as set forth in claim 1, whereinsaid customer receipt is signed and further including receipt holdermeans for securing said customer receipt during signature andtemporarily storing at least a portion of said customer receipt aftersignature.
 11. A device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said housingincludes removable printer paper holder means for holding a supply ofpaper for said printer means and directing the paper into said printermeans.
 12. A device, as set forth in claim 11, wherein said printerpaper holder includes a plate contoured to matingly engage a portion ofsaid second end of said housing and a portion of said bottom surface ofsaid housing nearby said second end, said plate being curved to carry asubstantially cylindrical roll of said supply of paper of preselectedmaximum diameter, and further including a substantially planer paperguide means in operative association with said plate for directing thepaper into said printer means.
 13. A device, as set forth in claim 1,wherein said means for furnishing includes means for communicating witha transceiver in a device for obtaining credit card transactionapproval.
 14. A device, as set forth in claim 13, wherein said means forcommunicating includes a radio frequency transceiver for communicationwith a transceiver in said device for obtaining credit card transactionapproval, said means for communicating carried within said housing inproximity to said first data entry means.
 15. A device, as set forth inclaim 13, wherein said means for communicating includes first memorymeans for receiving said credit card information, said means forcommunicating carried within said housing in proximity to said firstdata entry means and further including plug means for direct conductortransfer of the contents of said memory means to said device forobtaining credit card transaction approval.
 16. A device, as set forthin claim 1, wherein said means for furnishing includes means forcommunicating directly over the public telephone network for obtainingcredit card transaction approval, said means for communicating directlyfurther including a modem and plug means for direct connection to saidpublic telephone network.
 17. A device, as set forth in claim 1, whereinsaid credit card information is encoded in a magnetic medium affixed toa credit card, said reader means is a magnetic card reader, said firstdata entry means is a keyboard, and further including a second dataentry means for entering further customer information and aself-contained energy source carried within said housing in proximity toone of said first data entry means and said second data entry means. 18.A portable device for processing point of sale transactions,comprising:a housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, a first endand a second end; reader means for reading credit card information, saidreader means carried within said housing substantially adjacent to saidfirst end of said housing; first data entry means for entering customerinformation, said first data entry means carried by said housing;scanner means for scanning product identification information, saidscanner means carried within said housing substantially adjacent saidsecond end of said housing; display means for displaying selected ofsaid credit card information, said customer information and said productidentification information, said display means carried within saidhousing so as to allow display at said top surface of said housingsubstantially adjacent said scanner means; printer means for printing acustomer receipt which is signed, said printer means carried within saidhousing closer to said second end of said housing than said first end ofsaid housing; means for furnishing at least selected of said credit cardinformation, said customer information and said product identificationinformation to obtain transaction approval, said means for furnishingcarried within said housing; processor means within said housing forreceiving said credit card information, said customer information andsaid product identification information, and controlling said displaymeans, said printer means and said means for furnishing; and, receiptholder means for securing said customer receipt during signature andtemporarily storing at least a portion of said customer receipt aftersignature, wherein said receipt holder means is a substantiallyrectangular caddy demountably secured to said bottom surface of saidhousing, said caddy including a recessed flange for removably securingone end of said customer receipt during signature, a chamber forreceiving and temporarily storing at least a portion of said customerreceipt after signature, and an aperture in said caddy through whichsaid customer receipt is passed for insertion into said chamber.
 19. Aportable device for processing point of sale transactions, comprising:ahousing having a top surface, a bottom surface, a first end and a secondend; reader means for reading credit card information, said reader meanscarried within said housing substantially adjacent to said first end ofsaid housing; first data entry means for entering customer information,said first data entry means carried by said housing; scanner means forscanning product identification information, said scanner means carriedwithin said housing substantially adjacent said second end of saidhousing; display means for displaying selected of said credit cardinformation, said customer information and said product identificationinformation, said display means carried within said housing so as toallow display at said top surface of said housing substantially adjacentsaid scanner means; printer means for printing a customer receipt whichis signed, said printer means carried within said housing closer to saidsecond end of said housing than said first end of said housing; meansfor furnishing at least selected of said credit card information, saidcustomer information and said product identification information toobtain transaction approval, said means for furnishing carried withinsaid housing; processor means within said housing for receiving saidcredit card information, said customer information and said productidentification information, and controlling said display means, saidprinter means and said means for furnishing; and, second data entrymeans having a substantially flat external surface atop which saidcustomer receipt is signed, and receipt holder means for securing saidcustomer receipt during signature, said receipt holder means including aflange mounted to said housing in proximity to at least one edge of saidsecond data entry means for removably securing at least one end of saidcustomer receipt during signature.
 20. A portable device for processingpoint of sale transactions, the portable device having a plurality ofcomponents carried and oriented to facilitate handsfree operation by ahuman user, comprising:housing means for carrying the components, saidhousing means having an operational orientation relative to the user;reader means for reading credit card information, said reader meanscarried within said housing at a location substantially as close to theuser's eyes when said housing is in said operational orientation as anyother component; scanner means for generating a scanning beam andscanning product identification information with said beam, said scannermeans carried within said housing at a location such that said when saidhousing is in said operational orientation said scanner beam isprojected substantially away from the eyes of the user; and, printermeans for printing a customer receipt, said printer means carried withinsaid housing at a location such that when said housing is in saidoperational orientation said printer receipt is visible to the user andsaid housing is substantially balanced for handsfree operation.
 21. Aportable device for processing point of sale transactions, as set forthin claim 20, further including:display means for displaying selected ofsaid credit card information and said product identificationinformation, said display means carried within said housing at alocation such that when said housing is in said operational orientationsaid display means is visible to the user and said housing issubstantially balanced for hands-free operation; means for furnishing atleast selected of said credit card information, said customerinformation and said product identification information to obtaintransaction approval, said means for furnishing carried within saidhousing at a location such that when said housing is in said operationalorientation said housing is substantially balanced for hands-freeoperation; and, processor means within said housing for receiving saidcredit card information, said customer information and said productidentification information, and controlling said display means, saidprinter means and said means for furnishing.